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Northeast slowly recovering from blizzard

A woman uses a pail to clear snow from her car after an overnight snowstorm Saturday in Concord, N.H.

Associated Press

DAVID KLEPPER and BOB SALSBERGAssociated Press

Published: Sunday, February 10, 2013 at 11:06 a.m.

Last Modified: Sunday, February 10, 2013 at 9:15 p.m.

NEWPORT, R.I. - Travel eased and life slowly returned to normal for most New Englanders after a massive blizzard, but many remained without power in cold and darkened homes and a forecast of rain brought a new worry: Weight piling up dangerously on roofs already burdened by heavy snow.

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The storm that slammed into the region with up to 3 feet of snow was blamed for at least 14 deaths in the Northeast and Canada, and brought some of the highest accumulations ever recorded. Still, coastal areas were largely spared catastrophic damage despite being lashed by strong waves and hurricane-force wind gusts at the height of the storm.

Hundreds of people, their homes without heat or electricity, were forced to take refuge in emergency shelters set up in schools or other places.

"For all the complaining everyone does, people really came through," said Rich Dinsmore, 65, of Newport, R.I., who was staying at a Red Cross shelter set up in a middle school in Middletown after the power went out in his home on Friday.

Dinsmore, who has emphysema, was first brought by ambulance to a hospital after the medical equipment he relies on failed when the power went out and he had difficulty breathing.

"The police, the fire department, the state, the Red Cross, the volunteers, it really worked well," said the retired radio broadcaster and Army veteran.

Utility crews, some brought in from as far away as Georgia, Oklahoma and Quebec, raced to restore power to more than 300,000 customers - down from 650,000 in eight states at the height of the storm. In hardest-hit Massachusetts, where some 234,000 customers remained without power on Sunday, officials said some of the outages might linger until Tuesday.

Driving bans were lifted and flights resumed at major airports in the region that had closed during the storm, though many flights were still canceled Sunday.

The Boston-area public transportation system, which shut down on Friday afternoon, partially resumed subway service and some bus routes on Sunday. Beverly Scott, general manager of the Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority, said full service was expected on Monday - albeit with delays.

"Give yourself more time and expect that it is going to take us more time," Scott advised riders.

Boston public schools were among many in the region that had already decided to cancel classes on Monday.

Boston recorded 24.9 inches of snow, making it the fifth-largest storm in the city since records were kept. The city was appealing to the state and private contractors for more front-end loaders and other heavy equipment to clear snow piles that were clogging residential streets.

On eastern Long Island, which was slammed with as much as 30 inches of snow, hundreds of snowplows and other heavy equipment were sent in Sunday to clear ice- and drift-covered highways where hundreds of people and cars were abandoned during the height of the storm.

More than a third of all the state's snow-removal equipment was sent to the area, Gov. Andrew Cuomo said, including more than 400 plow trucks and more than 100 snow blowers, loaders and backhoes.

The National Weather Service was forecasting rain and warmer temperatures in the region on Monday - which could begin melting some snow but also add considerable weight to snow already piled on roofs, posing the danger of collapse. Of greatest concern were flat or gently-sloped roofs and officials said people should try to clear them - but only if they could do so safely.

"We don't recommend that people, unless they're young and experienced, go up on roofs," said Peter Judge, spokesman for the Massachusetts Emergency Management Agency.

In Middlefield, Conn., two cows were killed when the roof of a barn gave way under the weight of heavy snow - one of two such incidents in the state that prompted agriculture officials to issue an advisory to farmers.

Officials also continued to warn of carbon monoxide dangers in the wake of the storm.

In Boston, two people died Saturday after being overcome by carbon monoxide while sitting in running cars, including a teenager who went into the family car to stay warm while his father shoveled snow. The boy's name was not made public. In a third incident, two children were hospitalized but expected to recover.

A fire department spokesman said in each case, the tailpipes of the cars were clogged by snow.

Authorities also reminded homeowners to clear snow from heating vents to prevent carbon monoxide from seeping back into houses.

In Maine, the Penobscot County Sheriff's office said it recovered the body of a 75-year-old man who died after the pickup he was driving struck a tree and plunged into the Penobscot River during the storm. Investigators said Gerald Crommett apparently became disoriented while driving in the blinding snow.

Christopher Mahood, 23, of Germantown, N.Y., died after his tractor went off his driveway while he was plowing snow Friday night and rolled down a 15-foot embankment.

In eastern Long Island, hundreds of cars were stuck on roads, including the Long Island Expressway, a 27-mile stretch of which was closed Sunday for snow-removal work. Officials hoped to have most major highways cleared in time for the morning commute Monday.

In Massachusetts, eight teams were formed to assess damage from flooding along the state's coastline, with the hardest hit-areas including historic Plymouth and portions of Cape Cod.

"Considering the severity of the storm, the amount of snow and the wind, we've come through this pretty well," Gov. Deval Patrick told CBS's Face The Nation after meeting with local officials in Plymouth.

The U.S. Postal Service said that mail delivery that was suspended in the six New England states, as well as parts of New York and New Jersey, because of the snowstorm would resume Monday, where it is safe to do so.

Utility companies also reported steady progress in restoring power to customers.

In Massachusetts, some 234,000 customers remained without power on Sunday - down from 400,000 at the height of the blizzard, the vast majority in the southeastern part of the state. Rhode Island reported about 54,000 outages Sunday, down from 185,000. Connecticut still had about 15,000 without power, while in New York, just under 2,400 outages remained.

Newport resident Christine Carreiro, who spent time at a shelter with her 2-year-old son, who suffers from asthma and needs treatment from an electrically powered nebulizer, said she was thankful for the effort by line workers.

"Whoever was fixing the power lines left their families to help us," she said. "I'm very grateful.

Salsberg reported from Wayland, Mass. Associated Press writers Stephen Singer in Manchester, Conn., and David Sharp in Portland, Maine, contributed to this report.

A State-by-State Look at the Storm

A look at effects in states and provinces in the path of the massive storm that swept across the Northeast U.S. and southern Canada:

CONNECTICUT

The storm dumped at as much as 3 feet of snow on Connecticut, paralyzing much of the state. President Barack Obama declared a state of emergency for the state, allowing federal aid to be used in recovery.

Five deaths apparently were weather related, Gov. Dannel P. Malloy said, including a 73-year-old man who died when he fell while cleaning up in Danbury. The National Guard was brought in to help clear snow in New Haven, which got 34 inches. Snow totals were 32 inches in Manchester and 20 inches in Danbury.

The governor ordered all roads closed for nearly a day, and even emergency responders got stuck on highways. About 38,000 homes and businesses were without power at the storm's peak.

MAINE

Portland set a record snowfall reading of 31.9 inches, the National Weather Service said, and blowing snow reduced visibility on the coast. The weather contributed to a fatal crash.

Vehicles, including state police cruisers, were stuck in the deep snow, state police said, warning that stranded drivers should expect long waits for tow trucks. About 12,000 homes and businesses lost power.

MASSACHUSETTS

Boston was blanketed in up to 2 feet of snow, falling short of the city's record of 27.6 inches set in 2003. In some communities just outside the city, totals were higher, including 30 inches in both Quincy and Framingham. Hardest hit were the South Shore and Cape Cod, but there were no serious injuries due to flooding, the governor said.

An 11-year-old boy died of carbon monoxide poisoning after being overcome as he sat in a running car to keep warm, while his father was shoveling snow to get the car out of a snow bank in Boston's Dorchester neighborhood. A Boston man believed to be in his 20s also died of carbon monoxide poisoning in a running, snowed-in car.

Public transit in the city was suspended, and authorities hoped to have trains and buses running in time for Monday morning's commute. Logan Airport was closed until late Saturday.

More than 400,000 customers lost power in the state, and some were warned to expect to be without it for days. Many areas were too dangerous to send in crews, utility NStar said. Crews whittled the total down by more than 100,000 by Sunday, after about 1,000 people spent the night in emergency shelters.

The state enforced its first travel ban on roads since the Blizzard of '78, a ferocious storm that dropped 27 inches of snow, packed hurricane-force winds and claimed dozens of lives.

NEW HAMPSHIRE

The capital of Concord saw its second-highest snow total on record, 24 inches. Both Seabrook and East Hampstead saw 26 inches of snow. There were only a few hundred power failures statewide.

Saturday morning's high tide sent waves crashing into closed roads along the seacoast, local police said, but there were no reports of significant damage.

NEW JERSEY

The state was spared the worst of the storm, and the highest snowfalls were spread across northern New Jersey, where River Vale got 15 inches, the National Weather Service reported.

Bus and train service that was briefly suspended, and Newark Liberty Airport was closed Friday night. Flooding, seen on a massive scale during Superstorm Sandy, did not appear to cause major problems.

Officials say just a few thousand customers lost power during the storm, and nearly all had their service restored by early Saturday afternoon.

NEW YORK

Police had to use snowmobiles to reach ambulances, fire trucks, police vehicles, some snowplow trucks and passenger vehicles stranded overnight on the Long Island Expressway. About 10,000 homes and businesses lost power on Long Island, which saw as much as 2½ feet of snow.

About a foot of snow fell on New York City, which was “in great shape,” Mayor Michael Bloomberg said. The Staten Island neighborhoods hit hardest by Superstorm Sandy dodged another round of flooding.

Airports reopened Saturday. Amtrak said trains between New York and Boston were suspended Saturday but some trains would run Sunday.

Three deaths in the state were blamed on the storm. A 23-year-old man plowing his driveway with a farm tractor went off the edge of the road and was killed in Columbia County, police said. A 74-year-old was fatally struck by a car in Poughkeepsie; the driver said she lost control in the snowy conditions, police said. And a 58-year-old man apparently suffered a medical problem while removing snow from his car at a senior citizens' apartment complex in Selden on Long Island.

RHODE ISLAND

Residents were urged to stay off the roads to allow crews to clear up to 2 feet of snow. About 180,000 homes and businesses lost power, and utilities warned it could be out for days.

At T.F. Green Airport, outbound flights were to resume Sunday afternoon. Public transit service scheduled to resume Monday.

VERMONT

Wind, not snow or tides, was the issue in Vermont. Ferry service between Charlotte, Vt., and Essex, N.Y., was closed Saturday because of the gusts. Parts of the state saw 10 inches of snow.

Sources: State and local authorities; AP reporting

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